For Top Ten Lobbying Spenders, Was It Worth It?

The top lobbying spenders in this year’s legislative session were business groups, supporters of charter school expansion, hospitals, and teachers unions who used advertising campaigns, state Capitol rallies and direct contact with lawmakers to influence public policy.

Those groups are among hundreds of state and national organizations who spent more than $20 million collectively on lobbying in the first five months of the year. But the issues that dominated legislative attention as the session clock ran down and lawmakers scrambled to pass a state budget were those to which outside groups had devoted the most resources: Taxes on corporations and hospitals, school funding and health care policy.

Those who put significant time and money into lobbying this year had mixed results — some were satisfied and others frustrated when the session adjourned. Some are still working behind-the-scenes, hoping their concerns will be addressed when the legislature reconvenes to finish work in a special session Monday and Tuesday. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has announced that he wants the General Assembly to make tweaks to the state budget during the special session, and some of the changes he has identified are a response to concerns from the top lobbying spenders.

Here are the top 10 lobbying spenders this session, according to the most recent filings:

CBIA: $1,120,275.08

The 10,000-member Connecticut Business and Industry Association spent $1.2 million on lobbying this year, close to $500,000 of which was spent on advertising campaigns. The group protested business tax increases included in the state budget.

Was it worth it? The budget that passed included a projected $277 million increase in corporate tax revenues that caused Fairfield-based General Electric to threaten to leave the state and prompted the state of Indiana to take out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal slamming Connecticut as unfriendly to business. But the group has the governor’s ear. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who met with CBIA President and CEO Joseph Brennan after the session adjourned, has proposed adjustments to the budget that would reduce spending and eliminate some of the business taxes.

Families For Excellent Schools: $938,923.47

The New York-based charter school advocacy group, which expanded into Connecticut this year, got lawmakers’ attention when it spent over $100,000 on a massive rally at the state capitol. The rally was a response to a vote in the legislature’s budget-writing appropriations committee that eliminated charter school expansion proposals in Malloy’s proposed budget.

Was it worth it? The final budget included $21.6 million to fund charter school expansion over the next two years. Of that funding, $4.6 million is directed to opening two new charter schools in the state.

CT Hospital Association: $716,009.16

The 140-member Connecticut Hospital Association fought against hospital tax increases in the budget, and also lobbied against a health care reform package that regulates the growth and billing practices of large hospital networks.

Was it worth it? Hospitals were hit hard in the state budget, which increases hospital tax revenue by over $40 million annually. It also cuts Medicaid provider rates. Though the group did not support what they described as a regulatory burden imposed by the health care bill, their lobbying efforts resulted in some modifications being made to the legislation before it won passage.

The Connecticut Education Association: $672,779.43

The state’s largest teachers union focused this year on scaling back state standardized testing, looking to get rid of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, or SBAC.

Was it worth it? The CEA hosted a state capitol rally last month urging lawmakers to eliminate SBAC testing in the state. That proposal did not clear the legislature, but a bill that would eliminate the test for 11th graders won final approval.

Eversource Energy: $424,482.35

The state’s largest energy provider, formerly Northeast Utilities, descended on the state capitol this year with an aggressive lobbying drive against proposals to cap the fixed monthly fee on residential electricity bills and to modernize the way energy is delivered in the state. The company retained five lobbying firms this year — almost all of those powerhouse lobbyists. Eversource, which raised its fixed monthly fee from $16 to $19.25 late last year, distributed fact sheets to lawmakers claiming that a $10 cap on the fixed rate would result in higher overall electricity bills. The company’s lobbyists fought against legislation to increase the use of solar power and to make energy delivery cleaner and more cost-effective.

Was it worth it? Eversource will not be subject to a $10 fixed monthly fee cap because that proposal did not win final approval, but some regulatory controls were added those rates. The company had lobbied against a proposal that would give consumers energy bill credits in return for using solar power; a significantly watered-down version of that legislation cleared the General Assembly. The sweeping “grid modernization” proposal, which would increase regulatory focus on how companies like Eversource operate and charge for energy, did not win final approval.

Connecticut Conference of Municipalities: $342,526.00

The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities consistently has a strong lobbying presence at the state Capitol, with a focus on preserving aid to cities and towns.

Was it worth it? The state budget this year provided significant support to cities and towns, which will receive new revenue from the sales tax income. The state also will increase the payments it gives to cities and towns to compensate for hospitals and universities exempt from the property tax. CCM has said that it is pleased with the property tax reform in the state budget, but the group’s leaders are trying to keep their spot at the negotiating table as budget discussions are still fluid heading into the special session. CCM is one of a number of organizations eyeing the special session as an opportunity to accomplish what they could not get through during the regular session this year.

Knights of Columbus: $324,617.26

The Catholic lobbying organization spent heavily this year to oppose a “right to die” proposal that would have allowed doctors to help terminally-ill patients end their lives — one of the most divisive and emotionally charged issues that lawmakers considered this session. Opponents of the legislation refer to it as “assisted suicide.”

Last year, a Quinnipiac University poll found that 63 percent of voters support the measure. Opponents countered those statistics with a Knights of Columbus-sponsored poll that found only 21 percent of respondents supported legislation that would allow doctors to give terminally ill patients a fatal dose of drugs.

Was it worth it? The aid-in-dying legislation did not make it to the floor for a vote in this year’s session.

Connecticut Catholic Public Affairs Conference: 317,048.37

The Catholic Church partnered with the Knights of Columbus to fight the aid-in-dying legislation. Together, the groups’ spending dwarfed the $70,000 spent by Compassion & Choices, the group backing the proposal. The Catholic Church funded a public awareness campaign this year, distributing fliers at archdioceses across the state asking people to contact state legislators.

Was it worth it? The aid-in-dying legislation did not make it to the floor for a vote.

Yale New Haven Health System: 279,554.79

The Yale New Haven Health System, like the Connecticut Hospital Association, lobbied against proposals to increase taxes on hospitals and to regulate large hospital systems’ mergers and acquisitions.

Was it worth it? The state budget hit hospitals hard, and the sweeping health care bill was not supported by major hospital organizations. Yale New Haven announced last week plans to close clinics in East-Haven and Branford, and said maintaining operations at those facilities is not affordable given the higher taxes and the reduced Medicaid reimbursement rates.

Connecticut Bankers Association: $272,532.24

The Connecticut Bankers Association fought against a foreclosure proposal that would keep in place a statute that gives homeowners facing foreclosure action the right to a mediation proceeding before they go before a judge. Banks wanted to do away with the program, which was set to expire at the end of next year.

Was it worth it?The Bankers Association successfully killed a proposal that would have permanently protected foreclosure mediation, but they were not able to get rid of the program entirely. Instead, in a compromise, the General Assembly passed legislation to extend the program for three years.